Glycation is the bonding of a simple sugar to a protein or lipid molecule. Glycation may be either exogenous (i.e., outside the body) or endogenous (i.e., inside the body). Endogenous glycation mainly occurs in the bloodstream to absorbed simple sugars, such as glucose, fructose, and galactose. Glycation is the first change of these molecules in a slow multi-step process which leads to advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Because AGEs are irreversible end products of a glycation process, stopping the glycation process before AGEs form is important. AGEs may be benign, but many are implicated in many age-related chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, chronic kidney disease, atherosclerosis, peripheral neuropathy, and other sensory losses such as deafness. Preventing this process may also help regulate blood sugar levels of people with diabetes.
These figures are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It should be understood that the invention can be practiced with modification and alteration, and that the invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.